Applications are invited for 8 four-year studentships leading to both MRes and PhD degrees in the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Plastic Electronics involving Imperial College London, Oxford University and Queen Mary University London. Funding is available for UK and EU candidates meeting the Research Council criterion of having been ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK for the past three years.

The Plastic Electronics CDT aims to train doctoral scientists in this exciting, fast moving and interdisciplinary field. The participating departments are Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials at Imperial College, the departments of Physics and Materials at Oxford University and the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Queen Mary University London. Over 40 industrial and academic partners have offered their help in the design and support of projects.

In the first 12 months students will embark on the MRes programme, gaining a thorough foundation in the physics, chemistry, materials science and device engineering of plastic electronic materials. They will also complete an interdisciplinary research project. A key aspect of the MRes will be the hands-on training in diverse areas including microscopy, printing and processing, device fabrication and molecular modelling. Visiting industrial lecturers will teach advanced courses in the state-of-the-art methods and technology.

During the Ph.D. studies, students will pursue their chosen research area in depth, under the guidance of two supervisors from different disciplines, and with continuing participation in advanced courses and professional skills development. Some students will carry out projects in collaboration with industrial or overseas labs while others will visit such labs for specific measurements. Both experimental and theoretical projects are available.

Twelve fully funded places for the four-year programme are available, additional students joining the participating groups will benefit from the same training programme. The MRes course is also offered as a stand-alone programme for students who wish to self-fund. The programme is open to graduates with at least a 2.1 degree in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, or Chemical Engineering. Other first degrees may be considered. You should be looking for a challenging, interdisciplinary research training environment and have an active interest in the applications of new materials.